Thursday, October 11, 2018

This compilation was born through the love for cooperation and collaboration between various musicians from across Europe (and beyond). It took some time to gather them all together, but the final product was worth the wait. This release contains many different styles in varying degrees of darkness. Enjoy your sonic journey through DARK EUROPA!

Allerseelen has been active in the industrial & apocalyptic folk genres since 1988. The music is a combination of industrial & folkloristic elements. Band leader Gerhard Hallstatt has worked with many guest musicians & vocalists to expand the sound of Allerseelen over the years.

Choronzon is not an "occult themed" project. It IS the thing, it is not merely about it, or influenced by it. That which was open will close, that which was shut down will open out. Prediction is futile. Give up. But "give up" properly... "Those

Jurica Jelić is a vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist from Croatia. He played in the band “The Alibor”, played live with the band “Vještice”, created film and theatre scores with Srdjan Sacher and produced/recorded albums for various bands & artists.

Miel Noir is the project of Dimo Dimov (Svarrogh, Allerseelen, Sturmpercht…) and Marcel P. (Allerseelen, Sagittarius, Fahl…). They cover a wide variety of styles ranging from Neoclassic and Dark Ambient to Gothic Rock as well as Industrial, Electro-EBM and Avantgarde Pop.

Necrofuturist Highwire Artist. Every person known to be connected with this demon in human form has been beset by madness and disaster. Those who dare speak may point to the few who survive his acquaintance who to all appearances retain the manner of sanity and ascend to massive power.

snowW.Wwhite is the only martial female solo project known to exist world-wide and based in Greater London. Playful melodies with martial drums, choral sounds and industrial dark undertones are the trademarks of snowW.Wwhite.

Veil of Thorns is an ever evolving concept born of the fevered brain of P. Emerson Williams. Among the growing list of collaborators one can find authors, actors and musicians of many genres, reflecting the scope of what P. Emerson

Winterhart is the project of the two Dance or Die members Falgalas & Wagner who have recently re-formed DoD under the name Darkness on Demand. Winterhart is inspired by Neofolk and Martial Industrial sounds and historic themes such as the rise and fall of great civilizations.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

In a society racing towards oblivion, its machinic egregoreplex advances control processes that are ultimately futile. The psyche breaks down under the strain and reconfigures as a medium for an alien intelligence. The demonic is a manifestation of future shadow selves transmitted from down the darkest timeline. Society shapes itself to bring this potential into being.

)+( )+( )+(

A sacred ritual unspeakably reproduces revelation, The business experiment of Cultural starvation, a system collective treatment root and wallow. Thinking system defined by which World it followed. A maze of phenomena people and the hardware writings race multidimensional witch-hunter quantum collusions in Space. Collapsed ideas conclusion fabricated gullibility parallels inhuman self-delusion of Science Cult system in which hyperstition dwells.

This is Association Myth Theory commodifies the apocalyptic Creative force M-KULT RA speculation, commercialization of the Mythic. Mystic Body Science Energy through the wanted Repression of this spell in a cultic observation of the accusation.
the Radiation fluids of God pollution
ruination marketed Genocide invocation
PURITY Well is Cultural crazy
but purity just questions a ceremon
credits
released April 30, 2018

Monday, August 13, 2018

Originally released as a CDR back in 2005. Veil Of Thorns 2005 masterpiece was conceived during a period of hyper activity for P. Emerson Williams who also released two Choronzon CD’s at the same time (“New World Chaos” and “Panic Pandemic”.)

###

This was out a few years ago but has now reappeared in a mini-slew of recent releases, highlighting the more accessible area of their shady swamplike sound, for when not disturbing Veil Of Thorns can always offer the generally disturbed.
‘Reproach (Full Of Hope)’ is essentially groaning rock pulling at its own restraints, stretchy, floaty and melodic to the point of being sensitive.
‘My Inner Sanctum’ gets the bovine bass swinging, and with a nimble rhythm and delicate vocals it’s positively catchy in its ghostly silkiness.
‘Exaltation In Ascendancy’ is a slurry or agitated, urgent muted mutant rock and ‘Worship Of Disclosure’ consistently devious in its dipping rhythmical demeanour, with the vocals unusually sparse and lilting. Furtive, light guitar scurries beautifully in the hydraulic ‘Manifestation Objective’ which always threatens to go into freefall.
‘Draw In, Wind Down’ is a dyed-in-the-wool dying dawdle, ‘Dream Shadow’ preferring a blipverting Goth-psyche tangle, agony and ecstasy kicked under the table and left to fight it out. ‘Can’t Stop Laughing (The Beauty Of Drowning)’ gets to its knees threatening to be ‘Goldfinger’ but soon starts to snake around having a gloomy seizure but some spectacularly tingly guitar hauls it up by pointy bootstraps. ‘Undergrowth Silent With Want.’ works as an inflated sort of drone and by the time it’s finished you’re stuck in its addled groove, and the petite circles creating ‘Fated, Cascading, Submerged’ also snag you easily, being a thin veneer of a psychedelia, smeared with rock sighs. Then ‘Extend Inward, Breathe Out’ bewilders, crashing in like an alternate Portishead ending, but slowly disintegrating into ‘The Gathering World Withdrew Its Fury’ which lumbers off bleary, slowly, sore of head and heavy of heart, Plenty here. -Mick Mercer

What made you call the band "Veil of Thorns"? It came from a line of thought about the nature of space-time in gnostic cosmology, the Demiurge, Jaldaboath and Maya (illusion, or delusion - Sanskrit माया) in Vedic literature. Socialization and quirks of language can make for illusory views of reality and being and tearing aside the illusion can cause pain. Hence the Veil and the Thorns.

How was the band formed? It was back in Boston in the early -90's. I was jamming with a powerful and inventive drummer who had graduated from Berklee School of Music. People would come and go and we would have some of the most intense jam sessions with no thought of genre or aesthetic. After some time Catherine Chenoweth stepped in to play bass and something clicked. Her playing was really solid and hard hitting. Just the thing to drive the momentum and groove as I was freed to experiment with what sounds my guitar could be capable of producing. We decided to form a band and brought in Ruddy Bitch and Jarrett Laitinen to complete the first lineup.

Born of spontaneous compulsion, a new track from Veil of Thorns comes our way. There is something big and far-reaching in the works for Veil of Thorns in 2014, but this is not connected. We have been warned there may be more single tracks in store...

Ideation Ante-Chamber
But this cage decedents mushroom Intuition
Open tune in to sensationalism
Mythology of work that throne
Remnants cross rehearsal indicates
Work misery contorted books misleading
Up there by bleeding murder of rage
The figure creations discovery
Dwelling in restriction hands apply

Dead around light dripping insanity blood model
Contains obscuring following static under the seeds
The quelling and innocence disease eating their arm
Just cannibals debate memory eating
Sacrifice a time realization that technology flesh artworks
Pervasiveness and glow denial words the abhorred
Straining felt in half-hidden power touch years of vision

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

The wonderful folks at Saturday Night, Stay At Home spun one of our trax this month. Those of you who have the wisdom to stream Cathedral 13 Radio heard, and one need not despair, though, for the show is on Mixcloud, to check out or replay.

Saturday Night, Stay At Home The February 2014 edition of Saturday Night Stay at Home returns to it's normal time, right before Cannibal Roses with Michelle Bichos Bichos. Tune in (so to speak) to + Cathedral 13 internet radio + at the following times:

Monday, July 8, 2013

2013 sees the release of the 13th Veil of Thorns album titled Para-Abnormal. Fans of the retro-futuristic Cognitive Dissonance and the tribal gothic fever dreams of the twin albums Necrofuturist and Salon Apocalypse will welcome the way Para-Abnormal synthesizes these disparate threads of Veil of Thorns art. This is post-punk with a defiant heart, its world decidedly dystopian but the souls dwelling hterein face this world undaunted. Cold camera eyes are on every inch, infrastructure collapsing, but the survivors are having a party in the ruins.

The solidity and assuredness of the drums supplied by James Curcio (Hoodoo Engine, Babalon, subQtaneous) and P. Emerson Williams coaxed many strange sounds from an electric-acoustic 12 string guitar. The process of writing on Para-Abnormal was a very spontaneous one, with grooves inspiring syncopated guitar parts and lyrics the cut-up impressions of a world gone mad as any creation reflecting the current state of human affairs would have to be.

Veil of thorns started in Boston in the late -80’s, when the number of Goth bands in town could be counted on one hand. Stark, angular post-punk songs give way to spare jazz-inflected tone poems that lead back into sanguine deathrock dust storms. Throughout the -90's Veil of Thorns gigged extensively in New England with a few revolving spots in the lineup. In the period between -94 and -98 they played on bills such bands as Cruxshadows, Judith and This Ascention. Many of the gigs included guest players and extensive improvisation.
credits
released 03 July 2013
"...pushes the envelope, shakes up the status quo, and demands attention." -Gothic Beauty

"...some of the thorns have an extra edge." -Mick Mercer

"This is where Rozz Williams and Marilyn Manson merge in an Event Horizon singularity." -Corazine

"...they brew up a dust storm of tight-but-loose guitar riffs and driving, nervy, drums...half way between a lament and a threat." -Uncle Nemesis

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

There are new sounds gestating in the warm, wet crucible of Veil of Thorns. Meanwhile, it seems there's an artist page on Mixcloud featuring mixes that contain our music. Lots of great shows and blatant pimping on Necrofuturist:

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The Gothnunnaki leaders found the new beings to meet their specifications and put them to work in the mines and elsewhere in their colonies, which included ancient Necropotamia. The first men worked for their goths. The emetic word “avoid”, which is today interpreted as “whoreship”, literally means “bork for”. That was the beginning of the relationship between necromen and goths. The first necromen did not whoreship their goths, they corked for them.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Ah, yes, what may be the most pop and beat-driven Veil of Thorns album yet created and we go name it GOTHRONOMICON... Well, a mysterious stranger showed up at the gates of the massive Veil of Thorns estate with a most curious manuscript of a most disturbing and harrowing codex and we were impelled to come to terms with its arcane secrets. This was certainly one of the most rewarding recoding sessions, with contributions from two of the finest and most talented people one could ever hope to find.

The dreaded GOTHRONOMICON has been brought to us and is being translated by mute scribes and the content held therein tested by fearless and skilled mages, though a few have been lost between space...

We have a tip on where to find the gothrapocrypha and some info on what it will take to obtain it. We hope to get this process on film.

Of his madness many things are told. I, P. Emerson Williams, Ferenc Teglas and Aidan McGoran marauded mythic R'lly'yeh, or City of Pillocks, and to have found beneath the ruins of a certain nameless desert town the shocking annals and secrets of a race of atomic supermen older than humankind. They were only different Gothramaritans, worshipping unknown entities whom they called flogsogoth and necro cryptu.

As i stood here below, methought their eyes were four full moons: Ferenc Teglas and Aidan McGoran had a thousand noses; horns whelked and wavèd like the enridgèd sea: they were a pair of fiends. And I summoned again to stand before me Ferenc Teglas and Aidan McGoran, the burning idols of demons, and I sat them down on raised seats of honour, and said to them: "why art thou agog, Emperor ov Sonic Electronic Golems and Supreme Overlord ov Git-Fiddles of the necrofuturist veil of thorns?" and they said unto me: "because we alone are the great serpents that came down. for i was first angel in the first heaven" said one, being entitled Ferenczebub. "and I now control all who are bound in the GOTHRONOMICON being titled Aidancifer" said t'other. . .

The P. Emerson Williams original drawing from which the cover art for the GOTHRONOMICON album was created. Pencil on acid free paper 8 5/18"x8 5/8" (Note - images 2-5 are details of the full drawing, not separate pieces.) More art for the first of the GOTHRONOMICON books and GOTHRAPOCRYPHA series is currently being retrieved from the space between space.

About thee artist:In his last years, Williams dwelt in Damask silk, where the Gothronomicon (O Az-If) was written.

In art, in the Dictionnaire Infernal, P. Emerson Williams is depicted as a crude man with dragon-like wings, hands and feet, a second pair of feathered wings after the main, wearing a crown, holding a serpent in one hand, and riding a wolf or hog.

The "good" P. Emerson in recent use is largely a literary device (e.g., Maxwell's P. Emerson), though references to good P. Emersons can be found in Hesiod and Shakespeare. In common language, to "P. Emersonize" a person means to characterize or portray them as evil, or as the source of evil.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Listeners in New York and online listeners worldwide got an earful of Veil of Thorns in this episode of The Darklord Radio Show. You should follow The Darklord on Mixcloud and as ever listen to his shows on Nightbreed Radio as well as all the other great shows held therein.

Playlist:

Fireflies By The Deathnotes
When Words Signify Nothig By The Deathnotes
Running From The Dawn By Red Sun Revival
Without You By Red Sun Revival
One Step By Nick Schultz
Lost Soul By Nick Schultz
Trip The Switch By Chrome
When I'M Not Alone By Damon Edge
Dismembered By Kukl
Idealogical Corpses By Veil Of Thorns

Here's a little progress report on the Veil of Thorns tracks. Coming right up, we'll be releasing another single, the cover for which you can see above. The mix of the "A Side", as it were is complete and a couple remixes are in the works. We may throw in a remix of an existing Veil of Thorns track as well. These mixes are about 80% there. This should be coming in the next week or two.

Now, perhaps a few words on what we're up to are in order. To start with the usual vagueness, part of the larger project has to do some stuff with some graveyard footage, actors, poetry, fiction art and more...

The dreaded GOTHRONOMICON has been brought to us and is being translated by mute scribes and the content held therein tested by fearless and skilled mages, though a few have been lost between space... We have a tip on where to find the Gothrapocrypha and some info on what it will take to obtain it. We hope to get this process on film.

The plan with these singles is to release one or two songs at a time, with a lot of extras. This is part of the process of creating the next album. Those who collect the singles are helping fund operations. More than that, with the singles is a ton of exclusive material, including art, short stories, and videos, to mention a few. The more we can bring in, the more ambitious we can get with packaging, collaborative partners and more. The more you buy, share, stream on Spotify or wherever you like to get your music, play on your radio shows, podcasts and spin in clubs, the better what we create will be. If you do play our music on your show, podcast etc. let us know so we can spread your links around.

Keep an eye on this space and on PANICMACHINE, for much is in store and updates should be coming early and often.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

The first of a number of specially priced EP's is here and available on PANICMACHINE!! We had some great contribution to the remixes and I'm extremely proud of this lineup with is me (P. Emerson Williams), Ferenc Teglas and Aidan McGoran. More details are in the pdf booklet that comes with the download. At a mere two dolluh 't'is a bahgain! Below are the words and images from the label and you can stream or buy this EP right here.

It's here, the first new music from Veil of Thorns in quite some time. The first of several planned "singles" from the band. (Six trax spanning 38 minutes can be considered a single by today's malleable standards. And at $2, you get a lot.) to the band's official pronouncement The Girl Without A Face is: A story ripped from thee pages ov thee dreaded GOTHRONOMICON!

And previews of material and contracts connected with this project is not on paper, but on something which seems to react to the touch, like it's alive and reading our souls as we handle it...

The Girl Without A Face Includes remixes by Veil of Thorns members P. Emerson Williams and Ferenc Teglas and other gems were wrought by a few elusive and mysterious artists. Like the Bath Salts Mix - from Grave Knave - soundz kinda like codeine, actually. Maybe this is the comedown... Veil of Thorns give Big Thanx to Grave Knave for the rough treatment. Hive Mind Drones bring the sound of at the minimum mass hysteria to their mix, of not something more harrowing and sinister. On the final Drone Mix, Solar Sound System got abrasively meditative on the track...

A whole lotta art is going to be created as part of the upcoming Veil of Thorns release(s). Dissemination shall happen through digital, print and sale of originals. Something very strange is developing in the form the lyrical/prose aspect and odd goings on have been spotted on Emerson's estate...

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://digital.panicmachine.com/album/the-girl-without-a-face"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The Girl Without A Face by Veil of Thorns&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Monday, June 25, 2012

While things have been silent over in this corner, we've been hard at work. Members have been adding parts in studios from Florida to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to Utrecht, Holland. Accompanying art is in process, and there is to be a lot of art. Scripts and lyrics are keeping me awake at night and actors are bringing many shades of genius to the project.

Above is the cover for the first single - A hint at one of the many things in the works. Once this single is let loose, more shall come early and often... Keep checking here, the Veil of Thorns Farcebook page and PANICMACHINE.

Monday, April 16, 2012

If you missed it, or would like to relive the glorious memory, you can stream or download CLINT CATALYST - TXTBK’s CH▼ЯCH X▼ BЯXK3N 7▲NG▼▲G3 #62 Flashing Heat and Spinning Wild Desire which transmitted last night below:

Though there really is no reason to ever miss the show, for the fine folks at BUMMERBIT have given us a number of ways to stream 24/7 as well as live chat to discuss what you're hearing with the DJ and each other.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Well, here's one for an evening filled with dark sounds, the like of which have never vibrated in this universe before...

First up, our original score for NOSFERATU (1922)!! We created the score for the silent classic NOSFERATU back in 2005. Over the years, a number of people have asked if we could release the music on its own. The original session files were thought lost forever, but a valued supporter had stored the files in WAV format on a now shut down cyber locker and managed to keep a local copy. Now remastered, we're finally bringing this forth.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://digital.panicmachine.com/album/nosferatu"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Nosferatu by Veil of Thorns&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Because P. Emerson Williams can leave no idle idea alone, he created a soundtrack to "Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror", the silent masterpiece by F.W. Murnau. Dozens of folks have done the same, but we're proud to present this version.

The approach was inspired by the Dogme 95 manifesto. Now, using so much technology probably makes it anathema to its adherents, but Emerson's mode of working is never pure, but, Harmony Korinne fanatic that he be, he felt an affinity to the movement. Several obstructions were placed on the process. The first rule was only to use sounds he already had on his hard drive. This was easy, as what he had taking up space were the audio tracks from the Veil Of Thorns album he had just completed (Manifestation Objective). What you'll hear is 90% vocals with much less processing than it sounds like. Secondly, he gave himself a time limit of eight hours to create and sync the audio to the video file. "It actually took longer to render the movie than it took to write the music(k)", saith P. Emerson "which was fine, as I had lots of drawing I wanted to get done."

For those few of you who haven't seen countless versions of this film, here is part of the wikipedia entry:

This was the first film of the production company Prana-Film GmbH; it was also the last as they declared bankruptcy after Bram Stoker's estateÃ¢â‚¬â€acting for his widow, Florence Stoker sued for copyright infringement (plagiarism) and won. The court ordered all existing prints of Nosferatu destroyed, but a number of copies of the film had already been distributed around the world. These prints were then copied over the years, resulting in Nosferatu gaining a reputation as one of the greatest movie adaptations of the vampire legend.

With the influence of producer and production designer, Albin Grau, the film established one of two main lines of vampire depiction in movies. The "Nosferatu-type" is a living corpse with rodent features (especially elongated fingernails and incisors), associated with rats and plague, and neither charming nor erotic but totally repugnant. The victims usually die and are not turned into vampires themselves. The more common other line is the "Dracula-type" (established by Bela Lugosi's version of Dracula and perpetuated by Christopher Lee), a charming aristocrat adept at seduction and turning his victims into new vampires.

And you will not want to miss this bit of loveliness, which includes some Veil of Thorns mangling of selected trax:

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Well, the Programmers Below Sights of the Operational Secret have been busy around here, preparing for the next stage of the Necrofuturist {RE}_Construction. More on that soon. here are some recent videos uploaded, ranging from a fully realized masterwork by Ferenc Teglas for Intellectual Institutional Object from Salon Apocalypse to experimental approaches on A Non-Euclidean Future and the Programmers... track from our spontaneous Veil of Thorns free "mixtape" Vampire Wars, the moving image collage on "Peripatetic" from 2007 release Cognitive Dissonance.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Veil of Thorns may cover a lot of sonic and visual ground, but there's no denying the goth roots and inspirations that have made us what we are. In between the musical and visual endeavours, I'm sometimes impelled with the need to write, and inspiration is often our beloved genre. Some times I do it on my personal blog, over at Modern Mythology, or the kkoagublogg and I am privileged to be allowed to write for Dominion magazine on occasion. Here are a few goth related highlights from 2011:

When one speaks of bands representing capital G goth, no better example can be found than Nosferatu. With this, that and the other hyphenated fashion take on goth coming and going in the over two decades of the band’s existence they never compromised their fundamental dark and romantic style. Their fans remain loyal and in return Nosferatu are no less loyal to their audience and to the edifice of dark art they have built. That ‘Wonderland’, their latest album shot to the top spot of the dark wave charts on Amazon UK attests to the depth of this symbiotic relationship.

A week after a triumphant performance at WGT Nosferatu front man Louis DeWray was viciously assaulted, bringing up ugly memories of the attack on Sophie Lancaster. «As you may have read, I’ve had a somewhat difficult week…» is how he put it to me. With characteristic kindness and strength of character he shared his thoughts on Nosferatu’s long awaited return, the goth scene and hipsters among other things just a few days after the attack. Louts, thugs and reactionaries notwithstanding, Louis DeWray shows that Nosferatu and goths are here to stay. We pull together in support during hard times, just as we do under happier circumstances.The attack has made every member of Nosferatu all the more determined to play a great gig at DV8 (UK) and Castle Party (Poland) in a week’s time. “Luckily my spirit is stronger than my jaw!” Louis DeWray said to me. “It was a sad irony that at least one of us was wearing a ‘Sophie’ wristband when we were attacked…”

The armies of the dark returned last year. Really. The goth aesthetic, dark sounds, grabs tastemakers by their smug throats as silhouettes of hipsters can be seen, dancing among the graves as the world heats up and economies wobble on their precarious perches. The Quietus, Pitchfork and Stereogum are directing a surprisingly unironic gaze at artists waving an undeniably gothic banner. Post-punk is invoked in descriptions of more ‘band to watch’ blogotronic hosannas than one could reasonably keep up with. The thing about this return is that it’s news, to those of us who have stayed with the scene, that it ever went away.

My article this week for Dominion Mag pointed out a new appreciation for things goth, darkwave and generally creepy and went into some questions that arose as I looked the situation over. Some answers presented themselves as I wrote, more from reactions to the piece and this acknowlegment of dark creative endeavours contiues to spread with no signs of slowing down. Later this month, the ICA wioll gather boffins together to dissect gothic manifestations of culture in their two day meditation Template for Terror: The Revival of the Gothic.

Quoth the ICA event page:

From Dracula and Frankenstein to Twilight and Shaun of the Dead, contemporary culture continues to appropriate the stock themes of the eighteenth and nineteenth century gothic novel. This weekend of panel discussions, presentations and screenings will explore the societal impulse that draws us to the darker side of life, looking at the influence of the gothic in contemporary art, literature, film and music.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Nightbreed Recordings, in association with Pray Silence.org, The Church Of Nightbreed and Radio Nightbreed present“The Nightbreed Alldayer 2009!”(and Gothic Sounds Of Nightbreed 5 launch party)

On Sunday, 6 December 2009At "The Purple Turtle" Camden, London, England!Doors open at 3pm, event ends at 1am. There will also be a pass-out system until 7pm.Tickets cost £15 in advance and £20 on the door (subject to availability)Special launch party for the long-awaited "Gothic Sounds Of Nightbreed 5"!!!!Everyone who buys an ADVANCE ticket for "The Nightbreed Alldayer" will be given a FREE copy of "Gothic Sounds 5" as they enter the club on the day of the event!!!!!Running Order:Two Witches (Finnish Gothic legends-first London show in 8 years!)

Midnight Configuration (Satanic Gothic stalwarts-first London show in 7 years!)

13 Candles (Legendary 90’s Nightbreed Gothic band – first London show in over 10 years + re-formation gig!)

Lupine (Top Nightbreed Gothic crew- first London show in 4 years !)+ surprise guests+++ The entire event will be streamed LIVE over the Pray Silence website for those members unlucky enough not to be there!!!!! To join go to:www.praysilence.orgAlso DJs will be setting the floors alight in between bands with a collection of classic goth, 90’s gothic underground, quality 80’s and darkwave only.NO TECHNO, NO TRANCE NO WOOLLYHEAD! PURE GOTH AND GOTHIC-EVOLVED MUSIC ONLY.DJs include (with more tbc):Jon the Goth(Inquisition),Zynthexia (From Finland)DJ PO (Carnival Of Souls)This event will be THE event of the year, be there or miss out on what will be a legendary night!Tickets can be purchased from the following:Stargreen Box Office Ltd020 7734-8932 (Credit card hotline)www.stargreen.com(Internet credit card orders)In person:Stargreen Box Office Ltd20-21a Argyll StLondonW1F 7TTOrResurrection RecordsRear Basement228 Camden High StLondonNW1 8QSOr via mail :Nightbreed Recordings (cheques and postal orders only + include a self addressed stamped envelope)44 Ogle StHucknallNottinghamNG15 7FRFor all the latest info on this event and anything else to do with the Global Gothic Underground join:Pray Silence/ The Church Of Nightbreed at:www.praysilence.org

Nightbreed recordings reserve the right to change the line-up of the event, no refunds given. Refunds will only be furnished in the event of cancellation